This Boy
by Ariel Tsuki
Summary: A Steam Detectives Fic. Narutaki takes some time out of the night to think about his life and feelings for Ling Ling.


Steam Detectives One Shot: ****

Steam Detectives One Shot:

This Boy

Author Notes (AN): This is my first Steam Detectives fanfic I ever did and I hope you can take pity on little ol' me. Anyway, I always wonder how Narutaki, our favorite boy detective would think about after the day of crime-fighting and mystery-solving. So, here it goes.

WARNING: If you didn't read up to Case 9 (on Volume 3 in the graphic novel), you'll get a little confused on what's going on. I'm not pretty sure that Narutaki's name is his last time, but it does sound like it. Plus this is an unrequited Narutaki and Ling-Ling couple fic. Now without further ado, here's the story.

As I sit on my chair, I scoot over to my desk checking my files about the previous cases I'd done. However one of the cases caught my eye. I lift of the file and started to read the materials inside. This had been the Case of the Emperor of Steam (1); I sighed as I flipped into the pages. I stop on the picture of Mr. Steam King. I can see why Ling-Ling would fall for such a man. Handsome, tall, older. He's everything that I'm not. Too bad that he had to kill himself to get rid of the demons that haunted his mind. He would've made Ling-Ling happy. I put down the file and look at my hands. They're so small like a child. Ha…I am a child. Kids at my age worry about passing elementary school while I solve mysteries. I admit that I was jealous of those kids, who lived normal lives. I bet I would've been raised like them if my parents were alive today. Dad would forbid me from even getting into the detective business, saying I'm way too young to even think about deciding to work on such a dangerous job. I sigh again as I, once more, look at my small hands. Day after day, I have to fight for my right to be a detective; I have to prove to everyone who doubted me that I, despite my young age, can do the job better than men thrice my age. Sometimes, I do want to get away from all of this, but I can't, I started something that I couldn't stop, I lost my last chance to back away from this when the first case landed on my lap. Now I think of Ling-Ling, Ling-Ling Hsu. I admit that took her under my wing because I was lonely. I know I have Kawabuko, but something about Ling-Ling fascinated me. Ling-Ling would act calm and sweet at one moment, then act like a mother figure when she scolds me the next. I had no one to be scolded at (Kawabuko couldn't really scold me. He's my butler). Then suddenly, recently, I'm to feel some new 'emotions', something different than I ever had experienced before, around Ling-Ling. I get a little nervous around Ling-Ling now. I told Kawabuko about this, and he laughed and said that he'll tell me when I get a little older. Well, I'm eleven already (2), I think that old enough. Anyway, I think these 'emotions' are first notions of love. I mean I love Kawabuko, but like a second father (he did practically raise me), but these feelings of love for Ling-Ling are different. Now I want to make Ling-Ling happy, to see her smile. Then, one time I honestly walked in the bathroom when Ling-Ling was showering, I couldn't take my eyes off her nude body. Oh no, I wasn't being a pervert, I was just curious. I stood there watching her as I pinch my nose to stop the incoming of blood (3). As she was done, I ran right to the kitchen to get a cold, wet towel, trying to get that naughty sight off my mind. Rest to sure, I didn't peep on her again and kept that voyeur part a secret from everyone.

Then there's a knock on the door. "Come in!" I said. Speak of the devil, it was Ling-Ling. Her eyes were half-lidded and has a scowl on her cute face. Cute? There did that come from? "Naru-kun (4)! Do you know what time it is?" she said with her arms crossed on her chest. I smiled as I noticed the pajamas she was wearing: white pajamas with little pink needles (5) on them. Then I turned my attention to my watch. "3:30 AM. (6)" I said with a nervous smile. One of the things I learned about living with Ling-Ling that kids my age should've been in bed at 10:00 PM. I tried to explain to her that I'm not a normal kid yet she makes sure that I'm bed before 11:00 PM. She grabs my hands and drags me out of my desk and out of the office. As we walk towards my room, I noticed that her hands were little bigger than mine. Suddenly we stopped walking and I turned we arrived to my room. "Go change and call me when you're done!" she ordered. I sighed for the third time that night. I opened my room door and closed it after me. I walk towards to my four-post bed and found a pair of white pajamas with little gray guns (7) laid out on my bed, Ling-Ling probably had laid them out when she found out that I wasn't in my room. So I stripped off my business suit and put on my pajamas. I pull out the top cover, then the second cover and slip in, sitting up. "I'm finished Ling-Ling!" I yelled. She walks in with a tray in her hand and laid it on the table next to me. She hands me a mug of warm milk, and I took a sip. "Narutaki, I'm disappointed in you. You knew that you have an appointment with the Steam City Police at ten tomorrow. Don't get fussy when I wake you up at eight thirty later this morning." Ling-Ling finishes as she takes a sip from her own mug of warm milk. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about my life and how it would've been if my parent were alive." I said to her. Ling-Ling starts to look concerned. "Narutaki…" I smile at her, I don't want to burden her with my baggage. "It's okay, it doesn't hurt anymore." I said, assuring her with another smile. We sat in an uncomfortable silence as we drink our milk. Then Ling-Ling started to giggle. I look at her with a questionable face. "What?" I said. Then Ling-Ling look at me with her soft, blue eyes. "You have a milk mustache." She said as she wiped the milk off of my lips. Then I started to look at hers. I never kissed a girl before but I had such a large urge to kiss her. Then she makes the mug out of my hand. "If you sleep now, you can catch at least four and a half hours of sleep." Ling-Ling said as she put the mugs on the tray. I laid back down as she put the covers over my body. I watched her leave, but she stopped and turned to look at me. "Naru-kun, as long as I known you, it's funny that I never learn your first name (8)." She said. I smirked, I knew this day would come. "Well, I should tell you then. My name is Boy (9)." What came next is a moment I never forget: Ling-Ling Hsu with a completed befuddled face. "What?" she said, coming over her shock. "In the Narutaki family tradition, every child that is born in the line doesn't get his or her name until their fifth birthday. Unfortunately, my parents died two weeks before my fifth birthday, so my name stuck to Boy Narutaki." I explained to her. She smiled. "Well, to me, your name will always be Narutaki." She said. I guess she noticed my tone of embarrassment of my incomplete name . "Well, goodnight!" she said before she left the room, cut off the light and closed the door. I turned and looked at the ceiling, thinking of Ling-Ling with a big dopey grin on my face. I remember Kawabuko saying that sometimes if a girl asks your first name, she probably has some romantic interest in you. I know that our age range is kind-a big (five years apart (10)), but one can hope right. I looked at my hand again, and sighed for the fourth and final time that day. 

This boy.

One day, this boy will grow up.

One day, this boy will become a man.

One day, that man will win Ling-Ling Hsu's heart…(11)

End

  1. The story of the Emperor of Steam is in Volume 3 Graphic Novel or Case #8.
  2. I'm not sure of Narutaki's ten, eleven, or twelve. So his age is a wild guess of mine.
  3. Well, I would've used that OTHER option but I don't think little Narutaki didn't reached puberty yet (well, I think).
  4. I thought it kind-a cute if Ling-Ling would use "Naru-kun" as her nickname for Narutaki.
  5. I always thought Ling-Ling might have a set of pajamas like these.
  6. My normal bedtime in the summer! =)
  7. Courtesy of Ling-Ling!
  8. I'm not know if Narutaki is Narutaki's last or first name nor know his other name.
  9. I thought naming him Boy would put some emotional effect on the story.
  10. I know that Ling-Ling's sixteen, but…(read #2)
  11. Sweet…isn't it?

Please Review! 


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